1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to burial caskets and funeral viewings. More specifically, the present invention relates to a new burial casket that includes a slidable member and a transparent surface through which the individual being buried can be viewed without being exposed to the ambient environment.
Burial coffins and caskets are commonly used to support the remains of deceased individuals and provide a vessel within which the deceased can be respectfully supported prior to and after burial. Burial coffins vary in complexity, in features, and in ornamentation. Some of elements provide improved functions for loading the deceased, while others improve viewing ceremonies in which the deceased is viewed prior to burial. Most coffins include an elongated, rectangular structure with one or more coffin lids over an open upper. The lids can be opened during viewings and can be closed and sealed prior to burial.
Grieving family members and loved ones paying respects often wish to view the deceased one final time prior to burial. Traditionally a viewing ceremony is held, in which the deceased individual is placed within the coffin and the lid is opened such that he or she is visible for final respects. For some, displaying the deceased in an open environment is not preferred, as the body may not be completely sanitized and the fear of contracting contagions is enough to forego the viewing ceremony.
The present invention offers a solution to this problem in the art of coffin designs. The present invention provides a coffin with transparent cover disposed over the opening of the coffin, whereby the deceased is viewable when the coffin lid is open, but the body is not open to the environment. The transparent cover is secured to the walls of the coffin and is coextensive with the coffin opening with the coffin lid is in an open position. The coffin lid is a sliding member that is disposed within the interior of the coffin door, whereby the coffin door can be closed and the transparent cover secures the body in the coffin when the lid is in an open or a closed state. This seals the body from the ambient environment, while still permitting others to view the body when the body is therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to coffins and caskets. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to various means of covering the body in a coffin, including those that contemplate transparencies. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such device in the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 204,320 to Hamilton, which discloses a burial casket with a movable lid that extends substantially along the entire length of the casket and provides an opening within which to position the individual to be buried. The lid slides within parallel grooves and can be removed entirely from the casket, and then positioned over the casket opening. While Hamilton contemplates a slidable cover, the cover does not expose a transparent surface covering the individual therein for viewing purposes. The cover of Hamilton extends the length of the casket and exposes the individual when removed. The present invention contemplates a slidable cover that slides within the door of the casket, whereby the cover is slidable over a transparent surface built into the door of the casket.
Another device is U.S. Pat. No. 1,523,973 to Judkins, which discloses a burial coffin having a transparent window and a cover. The transparent surface is shrouded by the cover prior to burial, whereby the cover is fastened using screws through the cover and into the coffin. Sets of screws secure the coffin door to the coffin, and the cover to the coffin door. As with Hamilton, the Judkins device fails to contemplate the configuration of the present invention, which comprises a slidable cover that enters the interior of the coffin door and covers a transparent surface when deployed from the door and over the transparent surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,099,436 to Fisher discloses a burial coffin with a disappearing panel that moves along tracks and can be used to inspect the coffin without removing the door. The disappearing panel runs along tracks below the door and can be moved inward and along the door to expose a portion of the coffin interior. Unlike Fisher, the present invention utilizes a coffin door with a channel therein, whereby a slidable cover is disposed over a transparent surface and the cover slides parallel to the coffin door to expose the individual in the coffin, and to shroud the same prior to burial.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,053 to Ball discloses a transparent cover for a casket that is configured to secure to the walls of the casket about the head of the individual therein, and be supported below the removable casket lid. The transparent cover comprises a domed, convex shape that includes a periphery margin that is affixed to the casket. The domed feature improves visibility, while the shape is confined to the interior of the casket when the casket lid is closed. The Ball device, however, fails to provide a new casket construction in which a transparent window is shrouded and revealed by a movable panel or cover that slides from a channel within the coffin door.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,105 to Buerosse discloses a body case for shipping remains from one country to another, whereby one embodiment contemplates a transparent cover for viewing purposes prior to cremation. The material of the transparent cover melts when the body case is placed within a crematorium. The body case is used to contain a body within a coffin, during transport, and when placed within a crematorium. Therefore bodies having contagions are encased therein and diseases are prevented from spreading, and the body does not have to be removed from the case prior to cremation. The Buerosse fulfills a specific need in the art; the present coffin is not one that contemplates a transparent surface extending the length of the coffin, or one that is particularly suited for encapsulating a body in an air tight manner prior to cremation. The present invention is a casket that can be buried, placed within a mausoleum, or alternatively placed within a crematorium if so designed. The transparent window of the present invention is partially extending along the coffin door, whereby the window is covered by a sliding cover.
The present invention provides a new and improved viewing coffin that allows a deceased individual to be viewed without being exposed to the ambient environment. Specifically, the coffin comprises an open upper with a door that is positionable thereover. The door includes an upper portion that is configured to be disposed above the upper body of a body therein. The upper portion comprises a transparent surface that is coextensive and secured to an opening through the door. A slidable lid is disposed within a channel along the interior of the coffin door, whereby the lid can be moved into a position over the transparent cover to operably shroud the body or allowing viewing thereof.
It is submitted that the present invention diverges in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing viewing coffin devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.